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5. HEALTH CLINICS
The Council has 18 health clinics sited to be reasonably accessible to every
mother in the Borough. At these clinics sessions are provided for ante-natal and
post-natal care, child welfare, vaccination and immunisation, family planning,
dental care, speech therapy, chiropody and physiotherapy. They are staffed by a
medical officer, a dental officer, health visitors and clinic nurses. In addition, they
form the centre from which is carried out the domiciliary work of the surrounding
district, namely home nursing, midwifery, and health visiting. Detailed accounts of
the various services provided at clinics are given either below or as part of other
sections of this report:-
Ante-natal and Post-natal Sessions
Two types of ante-natal sessions are held at clinics:-
1. Midwife's sessions, where a mother is regularly seen by the midwife
who will attend her at confinement. The usual practice is for a mother
to alternate a clinic attendance with a visit to her family doctor who is
responsible for her ante-natal care.
2. Medical Officer's sessions. The pattern today is generally towards
ante-natal care being undertaken by family doctors and hospitals.
Approximately one in five mothers, however, still attend the clinic
for ante-natal care by the Council's medical staff.
The figures for 1966 were as follows:
1,135 mothers attended medical officers' sessions for their
ante-natal care
764 mothers attended midwives' sessions for their ante-natal care
757 mothers attended ante-natal relaxation classes.
The Borough is fortunate in the degree of co-ordination that has been achieved
with the hospitals. An example of this is the attendance of Ealing domiciliary
midwives and medical officers at regular lunch time meetings held at Perivale
Maternity Hospital, where cases of clinical interest are discussed. The Council's
staff much appreciate the hospital's invitation to attend these, and derive
considerable benefit from them.
All expectant mothers having their first babies, whoever may be undertaking
their ante-natal care, are invited to take part in the ante-natal classes organised by
the Council's health visitors. These provide an occasion for preparation for childbirth
and infant care, and for ante-natal exercises.
Post-natal sessions are held for those mothers who find it more convenient to
attend the clinic than return to hospital. The purpose of these is to ensure that there
are no conditions following confinement that require treatment. The number who
attended in 1966 was 400.
Child Welfare Sessions
At these sessions, teaching in infant feeding, general care and mothercraft is
given by the medical officer and the health visitor. The medical officer is responsible
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